It is well known in motor vehicles to provide a headlamp assembly which is concealed from view when the headlamp is not illuminated. Concealment of the headlamp assembly provides a desirable appearance and also streamlines the airflow over the vehicle.
It is known to conceal the headlamp assembly by mounting the headlamp assembly for rotary movement from a raised position in which the headlamp shines forwardly of the vehicle to a concealed position in which the headlamp is rotated within an opening in the vehicle body. A cover panel is mounted on the headlamp assembly and is simultaneously rotated into a position closing the opening which was vacated by the headlamp. Examples of this, type of arrangement are U.S. Pat. No. 3,387,125, Ingolia issued June 4, 1968, and Great Britain Pat. No. 1,159,639, published July 30, 1969, in which the headlamp and cover rotate about an axis extending longitudinally of the vehicle. Other known arrangements of this type have the headlamp and cover rotating about an axis extending transversely of the vehicle.
It is also known to fixedly mount the headlamp in an opening in the vehicle body and to pivot a door between open and closed positions relative to the fixed headlamp. The prior art has recognized that storing such a pivoted door in a vehicle body requires the provision of a storage space for receiving the door. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,324,742, Voorhees et al issued July 20, 1943, the door is moved downwardly to a stored position below the fixed headlamp. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,524,442, Healey issued Oct. 3, 1950, the cover opens above the headlamp and only a portion of the door is received in a storage space so that a major portion of the door remains visible. U.S. Pat. No. 3,504,168, Johnson issued Mar. 31, 1970, provides upper and lower doors 22 and 24 which are pivoted for movement about separate transverse axes to store within the limited available space.